Today marks the first day of my internship. Well, more of a pre-first day — hotel check-in, dinner social, all that. I’m excited. Nervous. A little scared. But today feels lighter. Kind of like that “Did I finally reach where I fought so hard to be?” moment. I spent all of April and May really pushing myself to relearn cybersecurity — not passively this time, but with intention. It started with my [[Zero-To-Zero.Five|Server Hardening Project]], where I explored zero trust concepts, access control, firewall configurations, and the fundamentals of server security. That momentum led into my second active project, [[HollowRoot Overview|HollowRoot]] — a simulation of a misconfigured bank Active Directory. I built a mock enterprise, left most security settings at default, over-privileged some accounts, and neglected least privilege management — all on purpose. Why? Because I plan to attack it as an intern in a red team scenario, showing just how damaging bad IAM can be. I also studied for and passed my [[10 ISC2 CC Overview|ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity exam]]. And while you're never truly “ready,” what these past few months taught me — beyond security fundamentals — is how to learn on my own. How to ask better questions. How to problem-solve under pressure. And how to stay disciplined, even when no one’s watching. Those skills will serve me well here. I’m especially excited that I was placed on a hands-on team. I get to dive into real tools, real systems, and build real skills — not just shadow someone or watch from the sidelines. That’s the kind of learning I thrive in. That’s where I grow the most. I’m excited not only to get my hands dirty with identity and access management, but to meet new people. That’s always a highlight for me: connecting with different backgrounds, hearing new stories. As introverted as I am, I don’t shy away from blooming every now and then. I really hope to find that same energy I felt at UNL — especially during my ITS internship. That feeling of growth, of motivation, of drive. If this is where I start, I can’t wait to see where I swim next. The tide hasn’t calmed. But I’m not drifting anymore. I’m swimming — with purpose, direction, and breath in my lungs. Like I said in [[2025-05-08 - Learning To Breathe Under Water|Learning to Breathe Under Water]], I’m adapting. And while there’s still [[2025-04-16 - No Shore in Sight|no shore in sight]], I’m no longer sinking. I’m [[2025-05-16 - Tethered|rising]] Today, **I swam here.**